Chaos & Flame

January 15, 2023
On opposite sides of a long war, two teens find hope together in this duology opener. Seventeen-year-old Darling Seabreak was orphaned by the House Wars instigated by House Dragon, which destroyed her family. Surviving life in dark sewers as a child, she becomes a deadly Barb for her adopted House Kraken as they struggle against the imperialistic Dragons. Eighteen-year-old Talon Goldhoard fights for his older brother, Caspian, the Chaos-touched High Prince Regent of House Dragon and ruler of all Pyrlanum, a deadly War Prince whose entire life has been battle. The focus on family bonds and support adds realism, while the inclusion of prophetic dreams and visions creates intrigue: When Darling's adoptive father is kidnapped by Dragons, she is drawn into a political struggle between Caspian's erratic plans, her loyalty to House Kraken, and her growing attraction to Talon. Their romance, while beginning with immediate attraction, progresses at a slow burn and relies on trust rather than instalove. Despite familiar worldbuilding delivered mostly through telling rather than showing, the boon magic system is intriguing, and the inclusion of Chaos in the mythology adds a twist. While the plot is predictable--until a surprising ending that seems to come out of nowhere--alternating narrators allow for differing views and opinions on events. Caspian is an especially interesting character, and readers will wish for more time with him. Darling has brown skin; Talon and Caspian are light-skinned. Disappointingly familiar despite the creative magic and shocking hook at the end. (Fantasy. 13-18)

COPYRIGHT(2023) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

January 30, 2023
Gratton (Moon Dark Smile) and Ireland (Rust in the Root) team up to deliver a gripping fantasy about betrayal, forgiveness, loss, and loyalty amid a magical war. Seventeen-year-old Darling Seabreak cannot remember anything about her childhood before being adopted by the regent of House Kraken. She is raised as a mercenary in House Kraken’s war against House Dragon until she is captured by House Dragon’s War Prince, 18-year-old Talon Goldhoard. Unbeknownst to Darling, she has been the subject of a lifetime of murals painted by Talon’s older brother, “Mad Dragon Prince Regent” Caspian Goldhoard. Through these murals, Darling learns that she is the last remaining Sphinx, a member of the house that Talon’s father massacred at the beginning of the war. When Caspian announces his intentions to reinstate the Sphinxes to their former glory on a reparations tour, Darling and Talon cautiously follow, hoping this could be the first step toward a peaceful future. Through standard tropes, familiar worldbuilding, and Darling and Talon’s alternating narratives, the authors gradually employ myriad political and social perspectives that capably flesh out the novel’s compelling war-torn landscape. Characters are described as having varying skin tones. Ages 14–up.

March 1, 2023
Grades 9-12 The country of Pyrlanum suffers not only from the ongoing House Wars but also from old superstitions. Left-handed people and those who have prophetic visions are marked as ""chaos-touched,"" left to fend for themselves instead of being cared for by their families and Houses. On opposite sides of the war are fighters Talon, of House Dragon, and Darling, of House Kraken, who cross paths as Darling is trying to rescue her foster father from Talon and his men. Complicating the matter further is the fact that Talon's brother, the High Prince Regent, has dreamed about Darling since he was a child, and he is insistent that Talon must be the one to save her, though he does not know or say from what. Together, the two will face old hatred and new betrayal before the prince's vision will be proven true--or false. Gratton and Ireland are no strangers to new and fantastic settings, and this first of a duology should prove to be as enthralling as all their individual offerings.

COPYRIGHT(2023) Booklist, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

March 1, 2023

Gr 7 Up-Political intrigue, magic, and intricate worldbuilding will draw in readers and leave them wanting more. Darling Seabreak's family was murdered when she was very young by House Dragon, leaving her the sole survivor of a dead House. Talon Goldhoard, the War Prince for House Dragon, serves his people dutifully, even when his brother, the High Prince Regent, begins acting more erratically. Darling and Talon must learn to work together if they are to survive the deception and obfuscation of factions that seeks to tear the world apart-or rebuild it into something better. Ireland and Gratton have created a world with deep lore, and then show readers very little of it. Darling and Talon, the two point-of-view characters, are interesting and complicated, with shifting motivations and a deep desire to do right by the people they care about. The side characters are diverse and add to the richness of the world. Readers should watch out for mis-gendering a side character, though the other character in the scene immediately corrects it. Overall, while set in a deeply interesting world with engaging characters, the novel suffers a bit from uneven pacing. VERDICT A fantasy story with an engaging premise, this will circulate well in libraries where other epic fantasy and enemies-to-lovers romances are popular.-Ness Shortley

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